Brief report
John Laidlar from his Alty
Pages where a full report can be found
Photographs by Alan Johnson
13 February 2001
FRICKLEY ATHLETIC (3) 3 ALTRINCHAM (2) 3
UniBond Premier League Match, played on Tuesday, 13th
February, 2001, at 7-30p.m.
SCORERS
- 1 mins: Leroy CHAMBERS (Frickley Athletic 1 Altrincham 0)
- 13 mins: Chris HURST (pen) (Frickley Athletic 2 Altrincham 0)
- 18 mins: Ian CRANEY (Frickley Athletic 2 Altrincham 1)
- 24 mins: Leroy CHAMBERS (Frickley Athletic 3 Altrincham 1)
- 29 mins: Steve FINNEY (pen) (Frickley Athletic 3 Altrincham 2)
- 82 mins: Stuart SCHEUBER (Frickley Athletic 3 Altrincham 3)
- REFEREE: Mr Cooke
- ATTENDANCE: 223
TEAMS
| 13.2.01 |
FRICKLEY ATHLETIC |
versus. |
ALTRINCHAM |
| 7.30pm |
Blue shirts, white shorts |
---. |
Yellow shirts
with black hoop, yellow shorts |
| 1. |
Andy CARNEY |
1. |
Stuart COBURN |
| 2. |
Chris HILTON (capt) |
2. |
Adam FARLEY |
| 3. |
Matt WILKINSON |
3. |
James GLENDENNING |
| 4. |
Phil BROWN |
4. |
Mark WARD |
| 5. |
Mark OGLEY |
5. |
Mark MADDOX |
| 6. |
Rob HANBY |
6. |
Steve HAWES (capt.) |
| 7. |
Graham LEWIS |
7. |
Jason GALLAGHER |
| 8. |
Andy GREGORY |
8. |
Ian CRANEY |
| 9. |
Leroy CHAMBERS |
9. |
Steve FINNEY |
| 10. |
Chris HURST |
10. |
Gerard LEONARD |
| 11. |
Lee STRATFORD |
11. |
Danny MURPHY |
| 12. |
Gary DUFFTY |
12. |
Stuart SCHEUBER |
| 14. |
Ian EDGE |
14. |
Steve PORTER |
| 15. |
Luke SMITH |
15. |
Gary SCOTT |
SUMMARY
The local newspaper, SAM, wrote of last Saturday's match at Lancaster
that the game turned on Alty's switch from a back four to a back three at
half-time. There, a good first-half performance and a 1-1 half-time score
were turned into a 4-1 defeat in the second half as the frailties of the
back three were exposed. Given this and the width of the Frickley pitch, it
was surprising that Alty started this game with the same back three
formation. They found themselves two down after 13 minutes; changes to the
make-up of the back three with the substitution of Farley by Scott after 18
mins made little difference and Alty went 3-1 down after 24 minutes. They
then converted to a back four and went on to draw 3-3 with the final irony
being that the scorer of the equaliser was Scheuber, the very midfielder
removed to make way for the back three experiment at half-time at Lancaster.
After the disastrous first half at Bishop Auckland when the back three
experiment was first applied- and abandoned at half-time-, followed by the
Lancaster experience last Saturday and, now, this tactical folly at
Frickley, it must be clear that whilst a back three may be a sound system
for some teams, the present Altrincham personnel cannot make it work. The
other mysteries of this game at Frickley were how Altrincham managed to have
75% of the possession in the second half yet made so few serious threats to
the Frickley goal and how Leroy Chambers, still technically an Altrincham
player, scored twice in 24 minutes when he had only scored twice in the last
two seasons (99/00 and 00/01) for Altrincham in league games? The word
motivation may not be far from the answer.
TEAM NEWS
Mark Ward started with the back three that finished at Lancaster on Saturday
but sprang a surprise by including a new player, allegedly a Frenchman
called Gerard Leonard partnered up front by Steve Finney. Leonard is
rumoured to have played for Montpellier though he has been on trial at
several local clubs including Macclesfield and, it is thought, Bury. In
fact, the only Gerard Leonard listed in the normal football sources is an
Irishman who was on Wolverhampton Wanderers' books last season as a youth
player. Whether "there is only one Gerard Leonard" or two remains
to be confirmed. In the first half hour he must have wondered what he had
let himself in for. Frickley were without the injured Steve Price but our
old friend, Leroy Chambers had recovered from illness to start the game.
Former Alty man Mark Ogley joined Leroy Chambers as a Frickley face familiar
to the visiting fans.
FULL-TIME: FRICKLEY ATHLETIC 3 ALTRINCHAM 3
Photographs by Alan Johnson
 |
New signing Gerard Leonard (N0 10 ) in action |
| Penalty- Steve Finney's shot crashes into the
back of the net |
 |
 |
Another Alty attack repulsed |